BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — A 4-year-old who was swept downstream in the South St. Vrain Creek on Tuesday has died, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office announced.
The sheriff's office said this incident began a bit before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, when a person called 911 to report that a young child was swept away in the South St. Vrain Creek west of Lyons. His family had been camping nearby. A second child who was also playing in the water was able to get out safely, according to the sheriff's office.
Family members had to flag down a passing driver to ride farther down the road and get cell service to call for help, the sheriff's office said, "which did cause a delay in contacting 911 after the child was in the water." There is no cell service in the camping area.
An extensive search and rescue operation began, which included teams on foot and in vehicles, and drones were deployed in the air.
At 7:07 p.m., first responders located the child about 1.5 miles downstream of where he had disappeared. It's not clear if he was wearing a life jacket, the sheriff's office said.
He was brought to a local hospital in critical condition and died.
The incident remains under investigation. The Boulder County Coroner’s Office will do its own investigation to identify the child, as well as his cause and manner of death.
Multiple agencies responded to the incident, including Lyons Fire Protection District, Boulder Emergency Squad, Hygiene Fire Protection District, Lefthand Fire Protection District, Boulder County Parks and Open Space, Colorado State Patrol, and the Boulder County Coroner’s Office.
Denver7's Stephanie Southey spoke with Vinnie Montez, public information officer with the sheriff's office, who stressed the importance of having a plan when going into a place with no cell service. He said the roadway has emergency call boxes to use. Click this link to view a map of where these boxes are located in Boulder County.
Water safety in Colorado and calling for help without cell service
Colorado has already seen its fair share of water incidents, with a rescue in Larimer County on Tuesday, 11 children found safe after they were pushed into choppy waters on Rueter-Hess Reservoir, a drowning in a Broomfield pool in May and two water rescues over Memorial Day where both people survived and were wearing life jackets.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the United States sees 4,000 fatal drownings each year, or about 11 per day. Each year, the U.S. has about 8,000 nonfatal drownings, or 22 per day on average.
More children between the ages of 1 and 4 die from drowning than any other cause of death, the CDC reported.
The CDC has these recommendations:
- Learn basic swimming and water safety skills
- Build fences that fully enclose pools with self-latching gates
- Supervise closely. Make sure an adult in the group is designated to watch children and is not distracted
- Wear a life jacket while boating, kayaking and on paddleboards
- Learn CPR
- Know the risks of swimming in natural water, like dangerous currents, waves, rocks, vegetation and limited visibility
- Avoid alcohol and swimming
- Never swim alone
- Consider the effects of medication on swimming, especially if the medication impairs balance and coordination
Colorado Kids Pediatrics has also published a parent's guide to water safety for kids in bathtubs, pools, swimming lessons, oceans, lakes and rivers.
When it comes to outdoor bodies of water, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) offered tips on its website.
▶️ Watch: Earlier this month, Denver7 shared boating safety tips from a CPW ranger at Chatfield State Park.
CPW warns that Colorado waters are classified as "cold water" for most of the year, meaning under 70 degrees. These cool temperatures can lead to shock and drowning for even strong swimmers, CPW said. An unexpected fall into cold water can cause an "involuntary gasp reflex," causing the person to quickly breathe in water, CPW said. It can also cause an elevated heart rate and hyperventilation.
Wind can change the game on Colorado's waters, turning peaceful lakes into a dangerous hazard. Make sure to keep an eye on the forecast and the wind. Leave the water if you notice the wind picking up.
Several places in Colorado do not have cell service to call for help, so experts say everybody should have a backup plan of how to call for help in an emergency. That can include emergency call boxes along roadways, which are managed locally and not by any single statewide agency. Check with the county or jurisdiction that you plan to visit.
Personal locator devices can also alert first responders to an emergency. While the devices themselves can be pricey, calls for help are free.
iPhones can still connect to any cellular tower to dial 911, even if a user is in an area with no service. iPhone 14 models and the newer models can use a satellite to send Emergency SOS texts to first responders. Here is how that works. Galaxy phones or tablets also have an Emergency SOS setting. Users must set it up before enabling it — here's how to do that.
